Calcitriol and parathyroid-related protein do not appear to play a role in hypercalcemia that develops in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), according to a study involving 54 individuals. Investigators looked at 1) factors that led to hypercalcemia in participants with NHL and at least 1 hypercalcemia episode and 2) overall survival. Among the results:

• 57% of patients had diffuse large B-cell lymphoma; 7 in every 10 of them had the non-germinal center subtype.
• 61% of patients whose serum parathyroid-related protein and calcitriol levels were properly collected did not show elevations of either.
• The degree of calcitriol elevation was found to correlate with worse progression free but not overall survival.

The authors noted that calcitriol may be a marker of high-grade lymphoma or transformation to it.